HOLY CRAP FACTOR = 10

SO last night AO, Nate O, Lydia (AO's work buddy from Spain) and I went to the Green Mill for a couple drinks. I was in the middle of telling Nate how awesome the Teenage Fanclub show was and how much I like them and literally, as I'm telling him this they come filing through the door right in front of me. It was totally surreal. I promised not to make a dork out of myself but I had to say something to Gerry Love because he is the shit and write the best Teenage Fanclub songs. So, after about a half an hour or so of them standing right next to our booth, I got up and ordered some drinks and turned to Gerry Love:
Ol' Fuss: I'm really sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to tell you that you are one of my favorite song writers ever. You guys were great at the Double Door last night and the new album is really, really great.
Gerry Love: Really? Wow. Thanks!
Ol' Fuss: I just wanted to tell you that. I'll leave you alone now.
Gerry Love: Haha...Okay...Thanks!!

Let's just put this all together now...yesterday I got a new job and fucking met Gerry Love. Ol' Fuss is on a hot streak!!!!

(pictured above - Gerard Love)

And now...the words I've been waiting some months to say.....I HAVE A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A great job!!! A job that I knew would be worth leaving my old job for!! Guess who's bizack? 

Started and finished this in two days (about 74 days less than Callahan's actual journey)...an incredible story of strength and endurance...and fish...lots of fish...


Started this one a week ago and am not enjoying getting through the altnernating chapters about Tim Buckley who seems to be a self-righteous douche bag.


I am so happy that this came out:

"Too Good to be True" is a collection of 18 demos by the Everly Brothers that thankfully only features a guitar and their voices. These sorts of stripped down releases are few and far between especially for musicians of the '50s who were more often than not seduced by producers who wanted to add orchestral backing to their works i.e. Buddy Holly (who actually was in favor of it), Elvis Presley (who probably didn't give a shit)and the Fleetwoods (which is pretty much a given, but their acapella tracks are way more exciting).

and I'm also looking forward to listening to this:

Eric Johnson made mince meat out of Iron & Wine (whom I deem to be pretty monochromatic and boring) when Ben and saw them a few a months ago. I haven't had a chance to give this a good listen but based on the new songs he played at the Iron & Wine show, it's bound to be great.
Concering the cover art - Ben and I had a discussion about the cover of this album after he said that Jay Ryan's art has become a little boring...like he's not challenging himself. Bluetip frontman Jason Farrell once developed exciting album covers for lots of bands (including his own) and created his own, unmistakable style. Then, Riddle of Steel commisioned him to do the cover art for their album "Python" and you know what? It looked just like a Bluetip/Retisonic album. That was a let down. I really like Jay Ryan's poster art but when I see a Fruit Bats album with a Jay Ryan album cover I'm immediately making mental connections and associations based on his past work. I don't know. I guess what I'm trying to say is - I don't like the album art. Maybe Jay Ryan's art creates too strong a statement on its own to be relegated to an album cover. I once tried to comission an artist friend to create a custom painting for me and he turned me down. I respected him for it. That has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. More to the point...the Fruit Bats were selling homemade, hand decorated LPs at their shows that looked a lot better than the art for "Spelled out in Bones".



The Bottom Lounge has been bought by the CTA and will be demolished this fall. mt.st.helens is rumored to appear at the Bottom Lounge on Saturday, August 20th. Stay tuned.

Not much in the way of Lunchblogging lately...The weather has been too nice and I've been concentrating on finally landing a job I really want.

The Intonation Fest was a good time. It was cool spotting a couple of kids with MSH shirts on. My highlights for the fest included:


Dungen - Thanks to DocDayne I was turned onto these guys a little while ago. How can you not like a frontman that looks like Robert Plant and plays the flute (among other things)? They ruled, despite equipment problems mostly due to voltage converters for the Swedish guitar gear. Your Swedish guitar gear is not welcome in this man's America.


Out Hud - They brought the jams and proved to be the most entertaining of the 'dance' bands. An added bonus was watching the sweaty, pasty dude in front of us harass his grumpy girlfriend with his unconventional dance moves.


Andrew Bird - from my vantage-point (sitting by the main-gate in the shade), A.B. was a fingernail-sized green speck on the horizon. The performance was great and inspired me to go back and listen to his newest album - illegal files courtesy of STV SLV.


Les Savy Fav - I've seen these guys a couple of times before. It was cool to see Tim Harrington control a crowd of thousands and teach the men in the audience how to dance with the ladies.

Honorable mention:
Magnolia Electric Co. were good, but they were out of their element in the 97F weather. Jason Molina still sports the best uni-brow in rock music.
Prefuse 73 were exciting to see. I'm getting less and less excited about their new records due to a lack of diversity from track to track...I know he has other projects where he showcases other styles, but I find those kind of boring. If he could only recapture the brilliance of "Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives". I loved the way he chopped up M.C.'s rhymes and made them an integral part of the sound by creating new rhythms and textures with their sampled verses. Luckily, he assembled an amazing band and showed of his drumming chops a little bit too.
Broken Social Scene and DFA were really good as usual.

Sleeping Bear this weekend.
mt.st.helens/dpc show on Thursday in DeKalb.
Tha 446 with MC Chris @ The Double Door in August.
Sleepout with City on Film and Jeff Hanson @ Schubas in August.
Employment on the horizon.
Warm weather.
Easy access to the beach.
Newly tuned up bike.

- and finally, some rain has started falling on Chicago.

Beijing 2008!

"Go for the gold and fart a rainbow for the motherland! It is your duty!"
(check out Mike Downey's site for more...)

See this movie...it is incredible.
-penquinn.

Smarterchild and I meet again

(further adventures with automated AIM Buddy "Smarterchild")

Me: my name is boner
SmarterChild: Would you like me to call you Boner?
Me: yes
SmarterChild: You said your name was Bilbo but now I'll call you Boner.

I LOVE THE INTERNET!!!!!!!!

Luckily both of my British pals are safe and sound this afternoon. My heart goes out to London...I still can't wait to go back despite everything that has happened today. I sent Peter and e-mail inquiring about his safety and he responded that he was all right...and ended his message with this:
rest assured those wankers didn't get me this time!

Peter's okay.... 

Chaz is okay.